Visit the museum

The visit begins in the Cortile di Michelozzo, the courtyard adorned with stuccoes and frescoes, and continues on the first floor with the Salone dei Cinquecento, where a majestic cycle of pictures celebrates the apotheosis of Cosimo de’ Medici and the city of Florence and a rich array of statues accompany Michelangelo’s celebrated Victory. On the second floor of the museum are the private rooms of the Medici court, all sumptuously decorated and furnished, and among these the marvellous Cappella di Eleonora, the chapel with paintings by Agnolo Bronzino. Important testimonies of the Palazzo’s oldest decorations are kept in the Sala dell’Udienza and the Sala dei Gigli, where the original of Donatello’s Judith is also found. In the Sala delle Carte Geografiche an exceptionally large globe and more than fifty painted panels provide an extraordinary glimpse of all the parts of the world known in the sixteenth century. The mezzanine floor houses a remarkable collection of paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages and Renaissance left to the city of Florence by Charles Loeser.

Traces of Florence is a new exhibition section in Palazzo Vecchio, designed to offer visitors a compelling overview of the city in the unique surroundings of its most symbolic historical building.
Visitors will be able to discover the history and beauty of Florence through the atmospheric images of a selection of important works ranging from panoramic views to secret corners of the city.

Archaeological excavations underneath Palazzo Vecchio have made ​​it possible to bring to light the remains of some of the parts of the Roman theater of Florentia. The excavations were conducted by Archaeological Cooperative, under the scientific direction of Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Tuscany.